Laser energy has been implemented for use with surgical devices in treatment of various kinds of vision or ocular defects. In many such implementations, an incision or other opening into eye of the patient is required to accurately deliver the laser energy to the treatment site, such as a retina. Furthermore, one or more additional surgical tool(s), such as a surgical-site visualization tool, may be needed. Such additional surgical tools may require additional incisions, whereby recovery time for the patient may be increased, and wherein the risk of complications may likewise be increased.
In an attempt to reduce the need for such additional tools, particularly those requiring a separate incision, laser energy surgical probes have been designed to deliver both laser energy for treatment and illumination energy, such as for visualization, using a single probe. Thus, only a single incision may be required for visualization of the treatment area, as well as for delivery of laser energy to the treatment area to accomplish the surgery.
Such devices fail, however, to reduce the need for additional incisions for other additional surgical instruments, and further disadvantageously require a relatively large incision, and associated sutures, due to the necessity for separate conduits for laser and visualization energy. As such, it is clear that there is an unmet need for an ophthalmic surgical device capable of delivering illumination energy and laser energy for treatment of a patient's eye via a single incision, while maintaining a small diameter probe for reducing unwanted injury to the eye.